The latest promotional poster for the upcoming film Return to Silent Hill, which is said to be a direct adaptation of Konami's beloved Silent Hill 2, is facing major audience backlash amid allegations of copying a viral fan-made poster. Return to Silent Hill has already been marred with mixed reactions to early looks at a major Pyramid Head redesign and controversial styling choices for the main cast members playing James and Maria, but the newest wave of heated audience discussion was sparked by a seemingly inconspicuous poster shared by one of the film's main distributors.
Despite making major story changes, the 2006 film adaptation of Silent Hill has earned a respectable cult following. When it was first announced that Christophe Gans, the director of the 2006 movie, would also be leading Return to Silent Hill, audiences were tentatively optimistic that another stab at the survival horror series could prove worthwhile. However, the continued controversies surrounding Return to Silent Hill have deflated fan expectations, and now accusations of stealing fan art for official film promotions have once again landed the project in hot water.
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New Return to Silent Hill Movie Poster vs Viral Fan Art
First spotted by Reddit user RedMasqueMedia, a new public press kit shared by Return to Silent Hill's Canadian distributor VVS Films appears to be promoting the film with a redesign of Pyramid Head that does not match the confirmed design used in the film and also seems to be almost identical to a fan poster created by artist Luke Headland. Early teasers for Return to Silent Hill showcased a brand-new design for Pyramid Head, which has been completely replaced in the VVS poster. The new art's Pyramid Head not only features a face-like impression on what appears to be a skin material on the pyramid but also foregoes the inclusion of the Silent Hill 2 antagonist's gloves. Some are accusing the VVS poster of false advertising and potentially using AI, hence the major difference between the poster version compared to both the film and games.
The most heated comments towards the new poster have come from fans familiar with the impressive custom poster design by Luke Headland that was shared in January 2025. That poster showcases the official Pyramid Head design from the movie's trailers and teasers, with a foreboding background that has now been reproduced in an almost 1:1 design by the new poster shared by VVS. At the time of writing, Headland has not publicly commented on the copying allegations. It remains to be seen if any official statement on the debacle will be shared by the distributor, but audiences now fear the release of Return to Silent Hill may be further hindered.
@horrorposterarts
While the Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill f have managed to find success, it remains to be seen if Return to Silent Hill will be able to draw audiences in while facing down repeated backlash. Return to Silent Hill makes its debut in theaters on January 23, 2025.
- Release Date
- January 23, 2026
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
- Director
- Christophe Gans
Cast
-
Jeremy IrvineJames Sunderland -
Hannah Emily AndersonMary Sunderland / Maria -
Evie TempletonLaura
-
Pearse EganEddie Dombrowski
- Writers
- Sandra Vo-Anh, William Josef Schneider, Christophe Gans
- Producers
- Victor Hadida, John Jencks, Molly Hassell, Alexa Seligman, David M. Wulf, Jay Taylor
